Toy

ABSTRACT

A diabolo toy having a center rigid cord and soft cone portions extending therefrom, and a snap-lock cap locking the soft cone portions and the cord.

D United States Patent [151 3,653,148 Finkel [451 Apr. 4, 1972 [54] TOY 3,049,777 10/1962 Lewin ..24/216 3,076,287 6/1963 Jermyn [72] Inventor. Henry Finkel, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 3,081,578 33/1963 Mosh u N [73] Assignee: Twinpak Ltd,, Dorval, Quebec, Ca ada 3,341,969 1 1/1967 Olson ..46/60 [22] Filed: Apr. 10, 1970 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [2]] App]. No.: 27,311 361,572 6/1906 France ..46/6O 8,250 France.... ..46/60 388,968 2 1907 F ..46 60 52 vs. C! ..46/60 [51] Int. Cl. ..A63h 27/12 Primary Examiner Robert Peshock [58] Field of Search ..46/60-66; 24/216, Assistant Heinz 24/213 AttarneyAlan Swabey [56] References Cited 57 ABSTRACT UNITED STATES PATENTS A diabolo toy having a center rigid cord and soft cone portions extending therefrom, and a snap-lock cap locking the soft 3,551,963 3/1971 Mosher et a1 ..24/213 cone portions and the com 2,030,302 2/1936 Jones ..46/60 1,453,485 10/1923 Vosburgh ..220/D1G. l9 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 41972 3,653,148

INVE/VTUR Henry FINKEL A TTORNEY TOY BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 1. Field of Invention The present invention relates to a toy and more particularly to improvements in an amusement toy known as a diabolo.

2. Description of Prior Art The diabolo is a well-known toy which generally comprises a pair of opposed cones joined together at their apices forming a V-shaped annular groove. In use, the diabolo is placed on a cord, the ends of which are tied to a pair of handles which are placed in the hands of the operator and by alternately raising and lowering the handles, the diabolo is caused to spin. Depending on the dexterity and skill of the operator, the spinning diabolo can be tossed and caught on the cord, and can be made to go through a variety of other feats.

Prior art relating to diabolos includes US. Pat. Nos. 2,744,354 Walkins 1956; 1,554,731 Blecken 1925; US. Design Pat. No. D-197,788 Fox 1964; French Pat. Nos. 382,467 Chaumet 1907; 380,460 Brunet I907; and British Specification No. 23,228 Hudson I907. Many of the above patents show diabolos which are made from molded plastic material. One of the problems which occurs in forming the diabolo from such material in mass production is that two separate areas of the diabolo should be in materials of different hardness. For instance, the projecting rims of the cone should be of soft flexible material so that the rim will not cause injury if it hits someone, particularly at the high speed at which it is spinning. However, at the apices of the cones forming the annular groove that is where the diabolo is normally supported on the cord, the plastic or other material must be of greater rigidity and be more tough to improve the balance and so that the cord will not easily wear that portion of the spinning diabolo.

As shown in the above prior art, when the diabolo is made from materials conforming to the above object, it is usually necessary to employ conventional fastening means to retain the parts together such as is shown in British Specification No. 23,228. Such arrangements are expensive, since they require metallic parts and are time consuming to produce.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION It is an aim of the present invention to provide a diabolo which meets the above object, that is, having a soft rim portion and a relatively hard wear-resistant material portion forming the root of the groove at the apices of the cone and an improved fastening device which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

A diabolo in accordance with the present invention includes a first rigid member having a pair of spaced-apart annular shoulders defining an annular V-shaped groove. A stub shaft extends coaxially from each end of the first member and each has a diameter less than that of the shoulders with each stub shaft defining an annular seat adjacent the shoulders and a locking means adjacent the seat and spaced from said shoulder. There is a snap-lock member adapted to detachably engage said locking means and the snap-lock member defines an abutting surface spaced apart from the shoulder when the snap lock is engaged on the locking means of said stub shaft. An annular flared member of material softer than said first member is provided on each stub shaft. The annular flared member has a central aperture adapted to fit on said annular seat whereby the flared member is retained against the shoulder by the abutting surface of said snap-lock member when the flared member is on said seat and the snap-lock member engages the locking means. In the Drawings:

Having thus generally described the nature of the invention particular reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings showing by way of illustration, a preferred embodiment thereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the diabolo in use on a cord attached to two handles held by an operator;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the diabolo;

III

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the diabolo shown partly in cross section;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the detailed construction of the diabolo shown in FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly FIG. I, the diabolo is referred to by the numeral 10 as being suspended on a cord 12 attached to handles 14 and 16.

In detail, the diabolo includes a rigid core member 18. The core member 18 can be made of ABS nylon or acrylic or other suitable rigid material. The core 18 includes shoulders 20 and 22 spaced apart which define therebetween a V-shaped groove 24. A stub shaft 26 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 extending axially of the core 18, the shaft being of smaller diameter than the shoulders 20 or 22. The stub shaft 26 includes an annular seat 28 adjacent a planar radial surface 30 of the shoulder 22.

Adjacent the seat 28 is an annular rib 31 and a parallel annular groove 32. The periphery of the shoulder 22 is shown having a slight tapering surface 34. A snap-lock cap 36 is provided which has a dome-shaped cap and includes an annular rib 38 having an inwardly extending flange 40 which is adapted to be received in the groove 32 of the stub shaft 26. The peripheral rib 42 defines an annular groove 44 with the first rib 38. The snap-lock cap 36 is preferably of resilient high density polyethylene or the like. Both the core and the snap- Iock cap can be easily molded with conventional molding equipment.

Finally, outwardly flared horn members 46 and 48 of soft polyethylene or other suitable soft material are provided. The horn includes a first outwardly flaring curvilinear wall 50 defining a central aperture 52. The horn has a first recessed flat surface 54 which is adapted to mate with the planar surface 30 of the shoulder 22 and the tapered surface 34 of the shoulder 22. Interiorly of the horn is a flat parallel surface 56 having an annular rib 58. The surface 56 and rib 58 which mate with the abutting surface of the dome-shaped snap-lock cap 36 and the groove 44 is defined therein.

The horn member 36 which is provided with a plurality of axially extending spaced-apart recesses 60 to provide a humming noise when the diabolo is spinning. The horn 36 terminates in a flanged rim portion 62 of channel cross section. Advertising indicia and other markings can be provided on the web of a channel rim member 62.

In mounting the parts forming the diabolo the horn member 46 is first mounted to the core member 18 so that it is seated on the annular seat 28 of the stub shaft 26 and held lightly in place by rib 31. A dome-shaped snap-on cap 36 is then pressed onto the stub shaft so that the inwardly extending flange 40 engages the groove 32 of the stub shaft. In this position the surface is presented by the ribs 38 and 42 of the snaplock cap firmly engage the surfaces 56 of the horn pressing the opposite surfaces 54 thereof against the planar surface 30 of the shoulder 22.

The operation of the diabolo 10 on the cord I2 by means of the handles 14 and 16 are of course well known.

I claim:

1. A diabolo including a first rigid member having a pair of spaced-apart annular shoulders defining an annular central V- shaped groove; a stub shaft extending coaxially from each end of the first member and having a diameter less than that of the shoulders, each stub shaft defining an annular seat adjacent the shoulders, locking means including an annular groove ad jacent the seat and spaced from said shoulder; a snap-lock member including a dome-shaped cap having a first annular rib with an inwardly extending flange thereon adapted to resiliently engage the annular groove defined on said stub shaft, said stub shaft and said snap-lock member defining an abutting surface spaced apart from said shoulder when the snap-lock member engages said locking means; an annular flared member of material softer than said first member, the annular flared member having a central aperture adapted to fit on the annular seat whereby the flared member is retained against said shoulder by the abutting surface by said snap lock when said flared member is on said seat and the snap-lock member engages said locking means; an annular groove is defined in the dome shaped cap adjacent said annular rib and a cooperating annular rib is defined in the flared member whereby said flared member rib will engage said groove in the cap when said snap-lock member engages the annular groove on said stub shaft.

2. A diabolo as defined in claim 1, wherein the flared member of softer material includes a peripheral rim of channel cross section whereby the channel-shaped rim faces axially outwardly.

3. A diabolo as defined in claim 1, wherein the first member is of a high density rigid nylon material.

4. A diabolo as defined in claim 1, wherein the central core for the first member is made of rigid acrylic material.

5. A diabolo as defined in claim 1 wherein the flared member is made from soft polyethylene material.

6. A diabolo as defined in claim 1 wherein the snap-lock member is made of high density polyethylene material.

7. A diabolo as defined in claim 1 wherein the stub shaft includes an annular rib adjacent the groove, and wherein a cooperating groove is provided in the flared member for retaining the flared member before the snap-lock member is applied. 

1. A diabolo including a first rigid member having a pair of spaced-apart annular shoulders defining an annular central Vshaped groove; a stub shaft extending coaxially from each end of the first member and having a diameter less than that of the shoulders, each stub shaft defining an annular seat adjacent the shoulders, locking means including an annular groove adjacent the seat and spaced from said shoulder; a snap-lock member including a dome-shaped cap having a first annular rib with an inwardly extending flange thereon adapted to resiliently engage the annular groove defined on said stub shaft, said stub shaft and said snap-lock member defining an abutting surface spaced apart from said shoulder when the snap-lock member engages said locking means; an annular flared member of material softer than said first member, the annular flared member having a central aperture adapted to fit on the annular seat whereby the flared member is retained against said shoulder by the abutting surface by said snap lock when said flared member is on said seat and the snaplock member engages said locking means; an annular groove is defined in the dome shaped cap adjacent said annular rib and a cooperating annular rib is defined in the flared member whereby said flared member rib will engage said groove in the cap when said snap-lock member engages the annular groove on said stub shaft.
 2. A diabolo as defined in claim 1, wherein the flared member of softer material includes a peripheral rim of channel cross section whereby the channel-shaped rim faces axially outwardly.
 3. A diabolo as defined in claim 1, wherein the first member is of a high density rigid nylon material.
 4. A diabolo as defined in claim 1, wherein the central core for the first member is made of rigid acrylic material.
 5. A diabolo as defined in claim 1 wherein the flared member is made from soft polyethylene material.
 6. A diabolo as defined in claim 1 wherein the snap-lock member is made of high density polyethylene material.
 7. A diabolo as defined in claim 1 wherein the stub shaft includes an annular rib adjacent the groove, and wherein a cooperating groove is provided in the flared member for retaining the flared member before the snap-lock member is applied. 